The Ultimate Choice
by iamanevilgenius
Summary: “You’re not a killer,” or so Dumbledore told Draco Malfoy.


**Disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark violation is intended.

**Added note/disclaimer**: The lyrics belong to Shinedown

**Additional Notes/Warning Labels: **

1. This is a oneshot.

2. The title is a "working" title. It may change eventually, so you can offer some suggestions for the new title.

3. It is a songfic.

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Don't use a weakness

Don't change the subject

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

"_And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."_ He's proud of his name. It is unique, his mother says. It's as unique as the stars in the sky, which are never quite the same. Except the redhead boy sitting next to his newest target as a friend is sniggering and much to his surprise he feels the sharp sting of hurt feelings_. "Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."_ He turns to the boy – Harry Potter, trying to act like he's superior, and unruffled, like his confidence isn't shaken. _"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."_

"_I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks."_

It is a blow to his pride, to that fragile sense of pride – what people call the 'ego', and it destroys him, shreds his soul into pieces. He wants to cry, he wants to run away, but he doesn't want to face his father's disappointment. And now the anger's coming, anger's much easier, so much easier to hate and destroy than to admit he's hurt.

"_I'd be careful if I were you, Potter. Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents…"_

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

Don't ask the questions if you fear the answer

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

He stares at himself in the mirror, looking at his face, looking at himself. He isn't perfect. Everyone hates him. A bitter smile twists his lips. Even the world, the brutal design of fate hates him. Everything in the universe hates him… doesn't it?

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

You look distorted

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

He knows what the other boy thinks of him. Harry Potter. _Draco Malfoy makes some of the meanest bullies look like kind and sensitive people. The Prince of Bullies._ And everyone agrees...

But he's a caricature of what makes a bully. They don't know what he thinks. They don't know him. If they only knew…

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

Let's make you clearer

Let's flip the switch and use the smoke and mirrors

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

He's perfect. Well, not completely and absolutely perfect, but he's as perfect as a human being with all the human flaws can be. He has blonde hair, bleached white by the sun. He has gray eyes that make girls sigh over them, claiming that they're as silvery as the moonlight. He's always thought that's a lark. The moonlight's white, not gray. It's slightly gray, but it isn't the color of his eyes at all. His eyes are gray, the palest shade, but there are darker specks of, not gray, but blue. They're blue-gray. A combination of his parents' eyes color. His face's carefully schooled into a sneer. He's perfect…

_"Why?"_

_"Because all Malfoys are perfect,"_ his father had told him when he was younger and he'd asked that question.

He's perfect…

Not.

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

Re-invent yourself today

Re-invent your world today

Crying out for the last time

Clear a space for the warning signs

Crying out for the last time

And there's no turning back now that you've opened up to your mind

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

"My father…" every sentence he says begins with those words. He creates for himself a world where he's perfect and loved. He brags, begging for the attention.

_Such a bastard, cold-hearted sonofabitch._

_He's cruel, evil… malicious_

_A bloody Slytherin_

"_I'm dying! I'm dying, look at me!"_

Please look at me – your silence is killing me he thinks. He can't live like this – in a world where every year gets worse. People hate him all the more. He can't live in a world where everyone thinks he's a bad kid. He's not – he just doesn't know another way to act.

He's dying, his soul's shriveling up into the darkness because no one in the "light" will give him a chance. He's the one that's always in the shadows, left out… abandoned. No one cares and –

"_I'm dying! I'm dying,_ **_look at me!_"**

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

What guides your vision?

What holds the balance?

Don't think that I can't see you shake and tremble

Well I know you're nervous this world is scary

You have to let go all the madness you carry

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

He's running, he's got to do this. He _wants_ to – it's a great honor to be entrusted to this mission. He'll be greater than his father ever was. He'll be stronger. He'll –

"_I warned you!"_ His own voice rings in his ears. What did he say? _"You've picked the losing side! I warned you!_" What did he say, he can't remember, "_Trying not to think about it, are we? Trying to pretend it hasn't happened_?"

Yes, he wanted to forget – not _him_, but he had. But he can't forget it now because everything's gone wrong. It's all _wrong_!

But it doesn't matter because he _wants_ to do this; truly he does… he wants…

To be free of this crazy world…

"_I haven't got any options! I've got to do it! He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family!"_

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

Re-invent yourself today

Re-invent your world today

Crying out for the last time

Clear a space for the warning signs

Crying out for the last time

And there's no turning back now that you've opened up to your mind

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

"_No one can help me…" _

_Help me…_ He wants to curl up and cry somewhere. But he _is_ crying. He needs the help, he knows he does. He can't do this – he's only sixteen years old. He couldn't – doesn't want to. He _doesn't_ want to…

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

There is no turning back now

Everything you've ever wanted

Everything in this moment

There is no turning back now

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

Except he has to. He has to do it because he can't stop it – thewheel of Fateis rolling and he can't stop it – it'd be like trying to stop gravity.

"_I can help you, Draco_."

"_No you can't. Nobody can. He told me to do it or he'll kill me. I've got no choice._" Not when I've come this far, he thinks. He _doesn't_ have another choice. He's come this far…

But…

But…

But…

"_Come over to the right side, Draco_…"

He stares at the old man. At the one he's always called an old fool…

The old man _is_ a fool, he thinks. There is no right and wrong, just those who win and those who die trying. It's the winners who decide who was right and who was wrong, but even they can't decide – all they decide is who died and lost.

But his heart is in the right place. He knows it.

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

Crying out for the last time

Clear a space for the warning signs

Crying out for the last time

And there's no turning back now that you've opened up you've opened up to your mind

_x-x-x-x-x-x_

"_You're not a killer_."

Draco Malfoy stares at the old man and he begins to lower his wand…

"_You're not a killer_…"

_I don't want to be a killer…_ his soul whispers. He blinks and he's standing in front of a nameless person, cowering in terror in front of him. How he got there, he doesn't know. All he knows is he was running, following the Death Eaters, and they've decided to have some fun before they give their reports to the Dark Lord.

"_Have mercy,_" the woman whispers, holding her young child in her arms, trying to protect him from the certainty of death his wand will bring.

"_You're not a killer_."

He lowers his wand and he feels it slide down his hand and fall with a muffled sound to the ground.

"I'm not a killer," he whispers to himself. He's made his choice. He won't kill… He knows that he can't be saved, but he'll run for as long as he can.

_"You're not a killer_," his soul whispers and for the first time, Draco Malfoy hears it and follows it.

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**A/N:** And so there is another song-fic, one-shot. Again, written without my muse. That's probably why I have a muse - to make sure I write stories and not song-fics and one-shots. Whatever, review, if you feel like it. If not, thanks for reading!

**Citation/Disclaimer(s)/Reference:**

1. The lyrics come from Shinedown's "Crying Out"

2. The Harry Potter books, all of them. For sure, the first, third, fourth, and six books.

As for any other quotes, I have no clue. If you see one there, let me know.


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